Crimea Without Gasoline: The Occupation Authorities Have Stopped Selling Fuel to the Public
6 June 05:21
The fuel crisis in occupied Crimea has sharply intensified. The occupation administration of Sevastopol has announced a complete halt to the free sale of gasoline to civilians at gas stations belonging to the “TES” and “ATAN” chains, which are the largest gas station networks on the peninsula. From now on, fuel will be reserved exclusively for emergency and rescue services.
This was reported on Telegram by the occupying “governor” of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, according to "Komersant Ukrainian"
He urged residents not to line up at gas stations even when fuel trucks arrive, as fuel will not be available for free sale in the near future.
Free sale of gasoline has been canceled in Crimea
According to Razvozhayev, fuel deliveries to gas stations will be made exclusively for the needs of emergency and rescue services. For ordinary drivers, gasoline sales have effectively been halted.
For those who managed to purchase vouchers earlier, fuel will be sold with a limit—no more than 20 liters per person. The occupying authorities also announced their intention to launch a digital system for tracking and selling fuel and promise to resume free sales “in the coming days.”
Why a gasoline crisis has emerged in occupied Crimea
The fuel crisis on the peninsula resulted from serious logistical problems and strikes against Russian fuel infrastructure. According to the data cited, since the beginning of 2026, Ukrainian attacks have struck 15 Russian oil refineries, putting nearly 40% of Russia’s primary oil refining capacity out of commission.
In addition, serious problems have arisen on the overland route for fuel supplies to Crimea. This refers to the R-280 “Novorossiya” highway, which connects the Rostov region of the Russian Federation with the temporarily occupied peninsula.
The Crimean Bridge Does Not Save the Day
A separate problem for the occupiers is the limited fuel delivery routes. According to available information, fuel has not been transported across the Crimean Bridge since 2022. The alternative ferry crossing across the Kerch Strait depends on weather conditions and cannot guarantee a stable supply.
As a result, logistics chains have become overloaded, and gasoline reserves are insufficient to adequately supply the peninsula.
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Restrictions began as early as late May
The fuel crisis developed gradually. Starting May 31, the first restrictions were introduced in occupied Crimea: initially, gasoline was sold by ration cards, and a limit of 20 liters per day was set.
Eventually, the coupons ran out, and the situation at gas stations worsened even further. In Inkerman and Alupka, queues at gas stations reportedly reached several hundred cars.
Over three days—from June 1 to 3—the topic of fuel shortages in occupied Crimea was mentioned on Telegram channels more than 2,600 times, and the total reach of these posts exceeded 6.8 million views.
This indicates the scale of panic among residents and tourists who are unable to refuel normally or plan their travel across the peninsula.
Tourists and trucks are trapped
The fuel shortage is effectively paralyzing logistics on the occupied peninsula. In particular, tourists who arrived in Crimea in their own vehicles are at risk.
According to available information, about 70% of vacationers cannot refuel properly and leave the peninsula. Problems are also arising with food supplies, as trucks carrying food use the same route that was supposed to deliver fuel to Crimea.
According to reports from local Telegram channels, there is no gasoline at major chain gas stations, not even for the station employees themselves. It is practically impossible to refuel using vouchers.
Some private gas stations still have gasoline, and fuel is reportedly still being delivered there. But these volumes are clearly insufficient to meet the overall demand on the peninsula.
Local experts predict that the shortage could last at least a month, and possibly longer.
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